Tascam AK-BT2 Bluetooth Adapter For FR-AV2 Field Recorder

Tascam AK-BT2 Bluetooth Adapter for FR-AV2

The Tascam AK-BT2 is a small Bluetooth adapter made for one recorder: the Tascam FR-AV2 compact 32-bit float field recorder. The FR-AV2 has no Bluetooth of its own, and fitting the AK-BT2 into the adapter socket on the recorder adds three wireless capabilities that matter on video shoots: wireless audio monitoring on Bluetooth headphones, wireless timecode synchronisation with compatible Atomos gear, and wireless remote control from a phone or tablet through the free Tascam Recorder Connect app. At 22.3 x 14.9 x 5.7 mm and 1.5 g, the adapter adds effectively nothing to the size or weight of the recording rig.

Key features

• Dedicated Bluetooth adapter for the Tascam FR-AV2 field recorder
• Wireless audio monitoring with three selectable modes
• Wireless timecode sync with Atomos UltraSync BLUE
• Remote control via the free Tascam Recorder Connect app
• Simultaneous control of multiple FR-AV2 units from one device
• Bluetooth version 5.0 with SBC codec for monitoring audio
• Transmission distance of approximately 10 m
• Ultra-compact at 22.3 x 14.9 x 5.7 mm and 1.5 g

Wireless monitoring

A camera-mounted recorder is often out of arm’s reach of the person who needs to hear it, and a headphone cable across a rig is one more thing to snag, pull or trip over. With the AK-BT2 fitted, the FR-AV2 can send its audio to Bluetooth headphones or earphones for remote monitoring while recording continues. Three monitoring modes are available so the user can favour the balance of connection stability, monitoring quality and latency that suits the situation, from checking that a microphone is live to listening more critically. Wired and wireless monitoring can also be used at the same time, allowing two people, for example a recordist and a director, to listen to the same recorder simultaneously, one on a cable and one without.

Wireless timecode synchronisation

The FR-AV2 generates and receives timecode, and the AK-BT2 adds the wireless route: timecode can be synchronised wirelessly with supported Atomos products, including the UltraSync BLUE, so audio recorded on the FR-AV2 lines up with camera footage shot across a multi-camera setup. Wireless sync removes the cable runs and repeated manual jam-syncing that wired timecode needs whenever gear is moved or restarted, and it keeps recorders placed at a distance, on a subject or across a venue in step with the cameras. The time saved appears later, in post-production, where aligned audio and video fall together instead of being matched clip by clip by hand.

App control with Tascam Recorder Connect

The free Tascam Recorder Connect app, available for iOS, iPadOS and Android, turns a phone or tablet into the control surface for the recorder once the AK-BT2 is fitted. Transport and recording settings can be managed remotely, which suits recorders mounted on cameras, stands or subjects where reaching the unit itself would disturb the setup. The app can control multiple FR-AV2 units at once, including starting and stopping recording across connected units together, so a small fleet of recorders placed around a set can be run from a single screen. The AK-BT2 is compatible with the FR-AV2 only; other Tascam recorders use their own adapters, so it should not be bought for models such as the DR-10L Pro or the Portacapture series.